acute, but not loud, rapidly reiterated cry. They are active and busily seek for
small insects, chiefly Coleóptera, in the coarse herbage. The iris in all is rusty
red; the tongue is divided and terminates in bristly points. These reed birds,
which are very numerous both in species and individuals, on the borders of lakes
in the provinces north of the Plata, appear to supply in South America, the
various Sylviie, which frequent similar stations in Europe.
5 . S y n a l l a x i s f l a v o g u l a r i s . Gould.
riate XXIV.
S. supra fuscescenti cinereus, infra cinereofuscus ; remigibus obscurèfuscis, basi obscurè
rufis; caudæ plumis sex mediis nigro fuscis, externis ferrugineis; genis gulâque
flavescentibus, plumis singulis apice obscurè fuscis.
Long. tot. line ; rost. | ; aloe, 2 ^ caudæ, S | ; tarsi, | ;
Head and all the upper surface, brown ; primaries, dark brown, with the basal
portions rufous ; six central tail-feathers, blackish brown ; the remainder ferruginous
; sides of the face and throat yellowish, with the tip of each feather
dark brown ; the remainder of the under surface, greyish brown ; bill and
feet, dark brown.
Habitat, Patagonia.
My specimens were obtained at Bahia Blanca and at Santa Cruz, two extreme
parts of Patagonia. It frequents the thinly scattered thickets on the arid plains :
the hind claw of its foot is not produced as in S. rufogularis, and it lives less on
the ground.
6 . S y n a l l a x i s b r u n n e a . Gould.
S. pallide rubro fusca; primariis secundariisque rufis apice fuscis ; caudæ plumis quatuor
mediis nigrescenti fuscis, duabus proximis feiTugineo fuscis interné nigres-
centi-marginatis, duabus extimis ferrugineo fuscis ; genis, gulâ abdomineque medio
albescentibus ; hypochondriis ciñereis.
Long. tot. 5 - ^ ; unc. rost. aloe, 2 - ^ ; caudæ, | ; tarsi,
Head and all the upper surface pale reddish brown ; primaries and secondaries,
brown at the tip and rufous at the base; four central tail feathers, blackish
brown ; the next on each side rusty brown, margined internally with blackish
brown ; the two lateral feathers wholly rusty brown ; sides of the face,
throat, and centre of the abdomen, whitish ; flanks cinereous ; bill and feet
brown.
Habitat, Port Desire, Patagonia. (January.)